How Shaykh Abdul Qadir
Jilani Spread Islam

Shaykh Abdul
Qadir Jilani, Rady Allahu Anhu as the model of a Sufi saint, through
his nasiha, azkaar and salawaat, through giving a living
reality to Islam, in his complete surrender to the Will of Allah and in his showing
of tawakkul (trust in Allah) and through his teaching and preaching converted
more than five thousand Jews and Christians to Islam while more than a hundred
thousand ruffians, outlaws, murderers, thieves and bandits repented and became
devout Muslims and gentle dervishes, explains Shaykh Tosun Bayrak al-Jerrahi al-Halveti
in his Introduction to the translation of Sirr al-Asrar (The
Secret of Secrets, p XXXI). Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani says in
the 35th Discourse (khutba) in Al-Fath-ur-Rabbani (The
Endowment of Divine Grace) that this was among the blessings of our beloved
Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

Shaykh Abdul
Qadir Jilani, Rady Allahu Anhu had four wives, each a model of virtue,
and devoted to him. He had forty-nine children, twenty-seven sons and twenty-two
daughters. Four of his sons, Shaykh Abdul Wahhab, Shaykh Isa,
Shaykh Abdul Razzaq and Shaykh Musa became famous for their education
and learning, and they and their descendants spread Islam in other parts of the
world.

Shaykh Abdul
Qadir Jilani Rady Allahu Anhu passed away with the zikr of
Allah on his lips on 11 Rabi ul Akhir 561 A.H, 1166 C.E, at
the age of 91. A special zikr session is held that night. It is variously
known as Khatm Gawthiyya, Ziyara Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani, Urs
Shareef, or Gyarween Shareef. In Eastern Africa, a whole night zikr
session is held in congregation ending with Fajr salah after which
breakfast is served. In some places, zikr sessions continue for days. These
zikr sessions draw murideen (spiritual seekers) in their thousands
who come out spiritually rejuvenated, with their characters transformed and refined,
ready to sacrifice everything they have for the sake of Allah. And these halaqa
(gatherings) of zikr in Tariqatul Qadiriyya have continued to
attract millions of people to Islam through centuries and will continue to do
so, Insha-Allah, till the Day of Judgement, Aameen.

Besides this annual zikr
congregation, zikr sessions are also held on the eleventh of every
month (hence called Gyarween Shareef in Urdu), as well as every Thursday
night, as the night before Jumua is considered auspicious. The murideen
(spiritual seekers) also do zikr everyday individually in a mosque
or at home. This then is one of the enduring legacies of Shaykh Abdul
Qadir Jilani, Rady Allahu Anhu.

Other mashaayikh (spiritual
masters)came who continued with the work of Shaykh Abdul
Qadir Jilani. A few examples suffice to illustrate this. The first example is
that of Khawaja Mu'inuddin Chishti Ajmeri Rahmatullahi alayh
(passed away 627 A.H/1230 C.E), who acknowledged Shaykh Abdul Qadir
Jilani as his Shaykh and spread Islam in India. He achieved such a high spiritual
status that he is called Sultanul Hind (the sultan of saints in the
Indian sub-continent) and all the saints in that region are under his banner while
he is under the banner of the Gawth al A'zam. In the same way Shaykh Uways
ibn Muhammad Rahmatullahi alayh (1263-1326 A.H, 1847-1909 C.E) of
Somalia became a khalifa (vicegerent) in Tariqatul Qadiriyya
at the shrine of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani in Baghdad and spread
Islam in the whole of Eastern Africa through congregations of zikr. And
Shaykh Hamzah Fansuri, Rahmatullahi alayh, considered to be one of
the greatest saints in Indonesia in the 16th century C.E. proudly proclaimed
that he learned Islam from Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani.

It can truly be said that
the muhibbin (loving disciples) of Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani
Rady Allahu Anhu have spread Islam throughout the world through zikr.
The barakaat (blessings) of zikr are truly unending. May Allah Ta'ala
make us among the zakirin (those who remember Him), Aameen.

And the granting of wilayah
(the status of a saint) by Allah Ta'ala to the zakirin (those
who remember Him), abidin (those who worship Him), salihin (pious),
and muhibbin (those who love Him and the Holy Prophet Muhammad) is in all
instances mediated by the Holy Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu alayhiwa Sallam, Shaykh Abdul Qadir Jilani and one's own Shaykh.
After all, the awliya Allah (Friends of Allah) and the ulama
(learned scholars) are the Khalifatullah, vicegerants of Allah. Allahummajalnaa
fee zumratil awliya was salihin (O Allah! Keep us
in the company of the saints and the pious), Aameen Yaa RabbalAalamin.